Storage-battery-switch lock



May 19, 1925. 1,538,038 G. J. HARBEs STORAGE BATTERY SWITCH LOCK F1e d March 20. 1922' 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l 4L. Awww May 1.9, 1925.

Y 1,538,038 G. J. HARBEs v STORAGE BATTERY vSWITCH LOCK I File@ March 2o, 1922 erwan,

2. Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 19, 1925. i i

GEORGE J'. HARBES, OF LEONARD'VILLE, KANSAS.

STORAGE-BATTERY-SWITCH LOCK.

Application 'mea Maren 2o, i922. serial No. 545,179.

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE J. HARBES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Leonardville, in the county of Riley and State of Kansas, have invented a new and useful Storave-Battery-Switch Lock, of which the fo lowing is a specification, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, which are hereby made a part hereof.

My invention relates to appliances for the protection of automobiles from theft and the objects are To prevent short circuiting of the battery, to provide an effective device for shutting off and locking the switch connectioii with the battery and to prevent tampering with the ignition and lighting system.

These objects I accomplish by the mechanisin hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a face view of the instrumentboard of an automobile with my device attached;

Fig. 2, a longitudinal sectional view of my device in locked position;

Fig. 3, a lview of the same in unlocked Y position;

Fig. 4, a cross-sectional view, on line 4-4 of Fig. 2, of the head, exposing the lockbar and spring actuating the same;

Fig. 5, a cross-sectional view, on line 5 5 of Fig. 2, exposing the lock-bar in locked position; y U

Fig. 6, a detail sectional view, on line 6 6 of Fig. 3, of the mushroom and the surrounding parts.

Similar numerals of reference indicate like parts thruout the several views.

1, represents the instrument board of an automobile; 2, the casting by .means of which my device is secured in position; 3, the outer section of the main sleeve; 4, the inner section of said sleeve; 5, the bottom or end cap; 6, insulation fiber; 7, spring; 8, sleeve to lower end of plunger-rod 9; 1l), threaded portion of plunger-rod; 11, mushroom contacts; 12, securing nuts; 13, sleeve of insulation; 14, flange to said sleeve; 15, lock-nut; 16, outer end of plunger-rod 9; 17, insulation bushing; 18, knob; 19, annular groove; 20, lock-bar; 21, notch; 2 2, lock-bar operating rod; 23, knob; 24, spring actuating lock-bar when released; 25, head; 26, screw-plug; 27, notch in bar 20; 28, lockingplug; 29, cutaway part; 30, lock; 31 and 32, terminals; 33, positive electric wire; 34,

negative wire; 35, insulation sleeve; 36, slots; 37 and 38, copper plates.

My device is constructed in the following manner A casting 25, bored 'thru to receive a plunger-rod 9, has threaded portion 10 bearing lock-nut l5. The inner end of said plunger-rod is slidably seated in sleeve 4. Suspended on said plunger-rod by means of securing nuts 12 is a mushroom contacts 11 within said sleeve 3 4 made in two sections as shown. Copper plates, or other conductive material, 37 and 38 attached to terminals 31 and 32 are inserted Within said sleeve 3 4 in contact with said having 1 mushroom when the switch is in closed pov sition. On of such plates extends beyond the other so as to retain contact with the mushroom and ground the electric current when the switch is open and prevent starting the car or tampering with the ignition. The terminal on the battery side of the switch being in .contact with the shorter conductive plate, when the plunger-rod is pushed in into locked position, as shown in Fig. 2,l the electric current from the battery is entirely cut off, thus avoiding and absolutely preventing any danger of the car catching fire from short circuiting of such electric current. Any attempt, while such swith is in locked position, to use any other means, such as another battery or d ry batteries, by connecting the same with such terminals would be futile because the current therefrom would be instantly grounded and useless. Between said copper plates and the sleeve 3 4 I place insulation pads 35 and a pad 6 is placed on the inside of cap 5 between it and spring 7'. Terminals 31 and 32 are secured to plates 37 and 38 and stiiened and steadied by passing thru plugs or nuts entering said main sleeve 3 4. When the plunger-rod 9 is pushed in, as shown in Fi 2, the mushroom contacts 11 are switched oit and the electric current can only enter on the side where the copper plate extends beyond the point of contact, and thence passes thru the plunger-rod 9 to ground connection. When the plungerrod is released spring 7 forces the mushroom `into contact, as shown in Fig. 3. Electric current p may be communicated from the storage battery thru wires 33 and 34 attached to terminals 31 and 32, as shown in Fig. 2

or thru electrodes attached to such terminals or in any other serviceable manner.

v threaded iange, secured to the outer end of main sleeve 3 4, Extending into this head is a lock-bar 20, secured to opera-ting rod 22, with a knob 23 on its exposed end and a s ring 24 behind such lock-bar held 1n pllace by a screw-plug 26. U spreads out to form a plate or castlng by means of which it is secured in position on the instrument-board, foot-board or whereever it is desired to place it. The plungerrod 9 is provided with an annular groove 19 into which lock-bar 20 is seated when the switch is in locked position. An ordinary Yale or vother combination lock is so placed in said head 25 vas when turned to locked position serves to retain said lock bar and consequently such switch in such locked position until released by turning of the key and the release of said lock-bar 20, which is forced out by spring 24 when knob 18 is pushed inward.

A Sleeve of insulation fiber 13 having flange 14 of like material is inserted between such plunger-rod 9 and the casting and held in position on such plunger-rod by means of nut 15, and a similar insulation sleeve 17 is inserted at the .outer end of said head between it and said plunger-rod.

Someof the advantages of my invention are z-Prevents short circuiting of the e'lectric current and consequent danger of fire therefrom and prevents theft of the car by grounding the electric current in the event of any attempt to connect up other wires or another battery with the -ignition system while the switch is open and locked, as described.

I-Iaving thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,-

1. In an electric switch, the combination with two separate conducting contact studs of a conducting member mounted upon a longitudinally movable Shaft, an engaging means disposed o n said shaft, said conducting member normally connecting the two contact studs, the conducting member being movable away from one of the contactstuds,

`means engaging said shaft to move said conducting member into engagement with the contact studs, means for locking said The head 25.

conducting member in its inoperative position, said means comprising a locking-bar engaging said engaging means on said shaft and a locking-plug co-operating with the locking bar for locking said bar 'and shaft when the conducting member is disconnected.

2. In an electric switch, the combination with two separate conducting contact studs of a conducting member mounted upon a longitudinally movable shaft, an engaging means disposed on said shaft, said conductung member normally connecting the two contact studs, the conducting member being movable away fromyone of the contact studs', means engaging said shaft to move said conducting member into engagement with the contact studs, means for locking said conducting member in its inoperative position, said means comprising a lockingbar engaging said engaging means on said shaft, a locking-plug co-operating with the locking bar for locking said bar and shaft, and means for automatically disengaging said locking-bar from Said shaft when said locking-plug is released.

3. In an electric switch, the combination with two lseparate conducting Contact studs of a conducting member mounted upon a longitudinally movable shaft, said member comprising a plurality of resilient members disposed concentrically with respect .to said shaft and conductively Secured at one of their ends to said shaft,an engaging means disposed on said shaft,. said conducting membernormally connecting the two contact studs, the conducting member being movable away from one of the contact studs,

means engaging said shaft to move saidl conducting member into engagement with the contact studs, means for locking said conducting member in its inoperative position, said means comprising a locking-bar engaging said engaging means on said shaft and a locking-plug co-operating with the locking bar for locking said bar and shaft when the conducting member is disconnected.

GEORGE J. HARBES.

Witnesses:

HY. W. STACKPOLE, WM. ROTH. 

